Simplicity
by ThePushThatComesToShove
Summary: Taub never really knows how to handle Kutner sometimes. Kutner likes to think he's just 'keeping it fresh'. A series of drabbles. Established Kutner/Taub, SemiAU.
1. Chapter 1

**Simplicity**

"I love you."

Staring expectantly, Kutner kept his eyes trained on Taub as he slowly lifted his head, inclining his gaze towards the taller doctor. He raised an eyebrow with agonizingly slow speed, giving him a deadpan look.

"No, you don't," Taub replied after letting a moment of silence slide by. He held his gaze for another moment before looking back down at the paper work House had left for them to do. The diagnostician didn't do it himself and had appointed Taub to file them away in place of Cameron. Kutner had tagged along to keep him company. Originally, Taub had protested because the walls in the office were made of glass, people could _see _them, and Kutner merely laughed in response because that hadn't been the company he was thinking of.

"Why not?" Kutner had taken to playing with the double-colored bouncy ball on House's desk, throwing it up into the air and catching it. Occasionally, he would bounce it off the wall and throw it at Taub for amusement.

Exhaling loudly, Taub put down his pen and looked up again, folding his hands neatly on the paperwork scattered across the desk. "Let's not have this conversation, shall we?"

"Why not?" Kutner repeated, breaking eye contact by examining the ball in his hands intently.

"Because it makes things complicated," Taub muttered, staring at the scrawl plastered across the papers. "I like things the way they are now; can't we just keep it like this for a while longer?"

Pursing his lips, Kutner glanced at the older doctor again and took in the tired bags under his eyes and the crease in his forehead. He considered his answer and nodded mutely.

The scratching of pen against paper resumed, along with a bounce echoing in the wall every now and then. Taub didn't look up when he spoke again.

"I love you, too."


	2. Chapter 2

"Taub, stay with me tonight."

It was a bit difficult to send Kutner a surprised look when the man was standing _behind _Taub, arms slung casually around his shoulders. His position wasn't exactly a very advantegeous one; he was seated on the couch, bowl of cereal in his hands and a Discovery Channel special flashing in front of him.

"I can't."

It was always Taub's automatic response to Kutner's tried question. The older doctor puts down his spoon, staring at it intently as it rattled against the ceramic bowl. And it wasn't as if Taub didn't have his reasons; his wife wouldn't be very happy with him if he stayed the night at Kutner's, as she was already upset with him for staying so late so often.

"Come on," Kutners presses, placing his chin atop Taub's head. Taub could feel his jaw move as the man continued to talk, "Just tell her you need to work late tonight."

Sighing, Taub leans back into the couch and into Kutner's touch. "You do remember that it's Saturday, right? I told her I was catching up with a college friend." A pause, then, "A _male_ college friend."

"Oh, right." Kutner was silent for a moment, though he refused to remove his arms and allow the shorter doctor to leave. "Tell her he got drunk and you had to stay with him to make sure he wouldn't drown in his own vomit."

Taub opened his mouth to protest, but nothing came out of his mouth. He pursed his lips before replying, "That's actually a legitimate excuse."

"Was there ever any doubt?"

"There's always doubt when it comes to your excuses." Taub finally attempted to slide out from under Kutner's hold and was surprised to find that it was easier than he thought. There was one more glance at his soggy cereal before Taub held out the bowl.

"Take this, will you? I kinda need both hands to use my cell phone."


	3. Chapter 3

"Mmn."

Taub attempted to roll over in his bed, but it turned out that there wasn't enough room to accomplish such a thing. That fact alone made him freeze and reassess his surroundings. Tiny bed, tiny room, not-so tiny man with his arm around his side.

Oh. Right. He had decided to stay at Kutner's place last night.

"Stop moving so much," Kutner murmured, his eyes still closed. He adjusted his arm so that it was lying around Taub's shoulders. "It's..." A yawn, then, "Sunday, and I don't feel like waking up until at least ten."

A smile tugged at one of the corners of Taub's lips as he shifted around even more, groping a bedside table for his phone. Kutner groaned in complaint when the light from the phone hit the backs of his eyes.

"It's quarter after ten, Kutner." Eyebrows raised smugly, Taub stared at Kutner's face as he waited for the younger doctor to wake up more.

"Ten-thirty, then." He pulled Taub closer, drawing a quiet, barely stifled squawk. "We don't have anything to do today, and I want to enjoy that..."

Taub hummed in protest, pulling away. That statement wasn't as true as he'd like. "I have to get home and you know it."

That got Kutner to open his eyes. He regarded Taub with a sleepy yet sad gaze before he reluctantly pulled his arm away from Taub to rub at his eyes. Before Taub could finally roll out of bed, that hand was back on him, cupping the side of his face.

"How much longer do you have?"

Averting Kutner's gaze, Taub looked back at his phone to check the time. "Maybe about half an hour. Eleven seems like a reasonable time to get home."  
Kutner was out of bed before Taub could replace his phone on the table and sneak an extra ten minutes of sleep. He turned to blink up at the younger doctor, surprised.

"Eggs, right? Figured we can't have cereal, since we kinda finished it last night."

There was a pause as Taub slowly sat up. "I'm not sure if I can trust you with cooking anything," he said, smiling wryly, "But eggs are fine."


End file.
